THE GOVERNMENT IS ALL SET TO BAN CRYPTOCURRENCIES

The publication reports that a draft of the “Banning of Cryptocurrencies and Regulation of Official Digital Currencies Bill 2019″ is currently bouncing between different government departments, all of whom are toeing the government’s line.

The “Banning of Cryptocurrencies and Regulation of Official Digital Currencies Bill 2019″ draft has been circulated to relevant government departments, a government official aware of details told ET.

India’s Department of Economic Affairs, the taxation board, and the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority think that the “sale, purchase and issuance of all types of cryptocurrency” should be banned entirely, according to anonymous government sources.

The Indian government had created a panel chaired by the finance secretary last year for drafting cryptocurrency regulations. The latest reports indicate that the panel is hell-bent on killing cryptocurrencies in India. This looks like a real possibility right now as the bill could be drafted into law once the ongoing general elections in India are over.

INDIAN REGULATORS CONSISTENTLY FAIL TO UNDERSTAND CRYPTOCURRENCIES

The Indian government has always tried to throttle the growth of cryptocurrency under the false belief that the likes of bitcoin are instruments meant for laundering money.

Also, the rapid rise in the price of bitcoin has led regulators in India to believe that cryptocurrencies are nothing more than get-rich-quick schemes for defrauding gullible investors. The Economic Times report says:

The ministry of corporate affairs has in its feedback to the department of economic affairs pointed out the sale purchase and issuance of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Etherium & Cashcoin etc. are being done by individuals and companies on false inducements of massive returns.